Archives

Coriolis joins the musical forces of Victor Fiore (fiddle), Dave Hamlin (mandolin), and Jon Neff (guitar) to spin lively tunes and drive contra dance delight.  Jon and Dave played together in The Steeltones, and both are long time members of the Portland Megaband.  Victor played with Eugene’s Mad Robin before moving to Portland, where he …

Kevin Carr plays fiddle and pipes of various kinds and currently mostly play with family band- wife Josie Mendelsohn and son Daniel Carr. Have played with a dozen other bands over last 40 years, most notably Hillbillies from Mars. Influenced by Irish, Québécois, Old time, Scottish, Galician and French music mostly.  Hr lives in Southern …

Erik Weberg has been calling contra dances since 1990. He summarizes his philosophy this way: “I choose dances based on simple criteria. They have to feel good and they have to be fun. Complexity does not necessarily translate into dancing pleasure. Flow, interesting figures, and connection with the music are what make dancing sublime. Whether …

Laura Hatch stumbled across English Country Dancing in 2006 while visiting friends and immediately fell head over heels in love with it.  She has never recovered.  Ever since, she has been continuously learning more about this beautiful dance form and honing her calling skills. Known for her patience, clarity and warmth, Laura brings a spark …

Woody Lane (Roseburg, OR) is an exciting, high-energy caller from southern Oregon. He calls contras, squares, triplets, circles, mixers — simple and complex — all fun. For more than 30 years, he has called around the PNW and across the country on extended tours and at dance camps from Alaska to Florida, at evening dances, …

The Electrodes are Joe Bowbeer (5-string electric violin), Marcy Kubbs (piano) and Joe Micheals (guitar). They play an enticing mix of Celtic, Appalachian and original tunes for contradances around the Northwest. Check us out on SoundCloud, and our YouTube channel.  

Bandwidth brings together three of Portland’s contra dance music veterans, Gordy Euler (fiddle, whistle, piano), Keith Moe (fiddle), and Carl Thor (piano, mandolin). Their list of band affiliations reads like a “Who’s Who” of the Portland folk music scene, including: Hands4, Full Moon, The Steeltones, Shanghaied on the Willamette, Stepwise, Cascade Crossing, Celtinalia, Tunestruck, and, …

Laurel Thomas has been calling contra dances (and the occasional square) since 2008. Since then, she has called at dances all over the Pacific Northwest, and has made several appearances on the East Coast. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, articulate calling and her ability to choose fun, lively dances that have good flow. Her carefully …

The Hat Band is a contradance band from Portland that includes Jon Neff, guitar; Syd Newell, fiddle; and Meg Tapley, flute. Their use of three-part harmonies, along with creative arrangements of traditional, rags, blues, swing, klezmer, and waltz tunes, create a unique sound. Jon Neff is an IT specialist with a Bachelor’s degree in music; …

Washington-based Lindsey Dono is a serene and sunny caller for contra and other social dance. Passionate about the user experience, Lindsey leverages a background in cognitive science and a career in tech to continually hone teaching skills. When not at the mic, Lindsey can be found mentoring up-and-coming callers, geeking out over choreography, and practicing …